1. Visualizing Success
Fantastic work so far. Now we are going to dive more into understanding the value of visualizations.
2. Let's play a game
Take a look at this array of numbers. How many zeros are there? Pause the video and see how long it takes you to count them.
3. Changing the rules
How about now? How many ones are there this time? You probably didn’t even have to pause the video to count them all.
4. Gateway to understanding
How we interact with the information around us is highly complex, and our understanding constantly changes. But one constant thing is that a well-placed picture or graphic can open a gateway to deeper understanding.
Visualizations allow us to translate the information around us into a much more accessible form for the human brain to understand and uncover insight. Let's look at how this is possible and realize the importance of visualizations.
5. Clearer picture
Visualizations have moved to the forefront of how we communicate data insights in the data world. Too much information is generated daily to focus on raw data and try to draw conclusions. Instead, charts and graphs dominate how we consume and transmit information.
The main reason for this is that visualizations provide an aggregated, or summarized view of the data, that makes it easier to see overall trends and patterns. Our spot the zero exercises at the start of this lesson showed how a minor visual tweak made it easier to understand what was happening in the dataset.
6. Visual summary
Let's take that same array we had before. Manually tallying the counts for each number would be cumbersome and error-prone. Instead, we can use a simple graph and immediately begin to draw conclusions, such as four occurring the least and one being the most common or that three seven, and eight occur the same amount of time. The visualization here has reduced the amount of complexity in the dataset. Even if we added more raw numbers, the summarized graph would be just as easy to read and interpret.
7. Positive impact
Simplifying complex datasets allows for a multitude of positive effects. Decision makers can react quickly to their data and make better decisions. Visual information appeals to a broader range of business decision-makers and inspires action.
To reiterate what we discussed earlier, visualizing our data reveals underlying trends and patterns much more accessible than relying on other forms of aggregation. Aggregating data into singular measures like mean and median doesn’t show the whole picture and can easily mislead you to draw the wrong conclusions.
8. Looks can be deceiving
Look at the summary information for these two datasets. They look about the same with the same summary information, but when we plot them into a simple scatter plot, one dataset is a picture of a dinosaur, and the other is a star.
9. Looks can be deceiving
All 12 of these charts have the same summary information Only when we plot our data, are we able to see the whole picture and make the best decisions.
10. Let's practice!
Now, let's reinforce the value of visualizations with some exercises.